Shloka 5
Narrative of King Pṛthu: Chastising and Milking the Earth
पालितव्यं प्रयत्नेन यस्माद्धर्मः प्रवर्द्धते । भवत्या तु महत्पापं प्रजासंक्षयकारकम्
pālitavyaṃ prayatnena yasmāddharmaḥ pravarddhate | bhavatyā tu mahatpāpaṃ prajāsaṃkṣayakārakam
พึงพิทักษ์รักษาด้วยความเพียร เพราะด้วยสิ่งนั้นธรรมะย่อมเจริญขึ้น แต่โดยท่านกลับก่อมหาบาป อันเป็นเหตุให้ประชาชนพินาศ
Unspecified (male speaker addressing a woman, likely within a didactic dialogue)
Concept: Dharma must be actively protected; neglect or harmful action that causes prajā-kṣaya is mahāpāpa.
Application: Guard institutions and habits that sustain life—truth, non-exploitation, care for dependents; recognize that private wrongdoing can become public catastrophe.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A serious counselor or sage addresses a woman of authority, pointing toward a fragile crowd—children, elders, and animals—symbolizing prajā. Behind them stands a pillar inscribed ‘Dharma’, cracked where negligence has struck, while the speaker urges vigilant protection to prevent collapse.","primary_figures":["Dharma-speaker (sage/minister)","A woman of authority (queen/guardian figure)","Prajā (villagers, children, animals)"],"setting":"Royal courtyard opening to a public square; a symbolic dharma-pillar and protective ramparts","lighting_mood":"temple lamp-lit seriousness with sharp highlights on faces","color_palette":["deep maroon","antique gold","stone gray","peacock blue","sandalwood beige"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: ornate court scene; sage-minister with halo admonishes a queen; a gold-leaf dharma-pillar with visible crack; prajā gathered in lower register; rich reds/greens, heavy jewelry, stylized architecture, moral didactic composition with gold embellishment","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: refined palace veranda; counselor in saffron gestures toward distant villagers; queen in muted blue listens with conflicted expression; delicate linework, soft shadows, Himalayan-like cool palette adapted to courtly setting","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlines; queen and sage in profile with large eyes; dharma-pillar motif central; rhythmic crowd patterns; warm red-yellow-green pigments, temple-wall aesthetic","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: allegorical dharma-tree whose roots are prajā; the queen’s hand either waters or withholds; floral borders, lotuses and cows as prosperity symbols; deep blue ground with gold and white detailing, narrative panels showing ‘protection’ vs ‘decline’."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"narrative","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"moderate-narrative","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["court ambience hush","anklet chime faint","temple lamp crackle","distant crowd murmur"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: यस्माद्धर्मः = यस्मात् धर्मः; महत्पापं = महत् पापम्; प्रजासंक्षयकारकम् = प्रजा-संक्षय-कारकम्.
FAQs
It teaches that dharma must be actively safeguarded, because social flourishing depends on it; neglecting it becomes a grave wrongdoing that harms the community.
It implies deliberate protection and maintenance—dharma is not assumed to persist automatically; it requires vigilant effort (often associated with governance, discipline, and moral restraint).
It states that a person’s great sin can become “prajā-saṃkṣaya-kāraka,” i.e., a cause of the people’s decline—linking private ethics with collective well-being.